Netanyahu Slams Iran at UN; Iran Lashes Back

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran is continuing a "vast and feverish" effort to acquire nuclear arms, and that his country is ready to stand alone to defend itself against Iran's nuclear ambitions.

UNITED NATIONS— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. Speaking on the last day of the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, he cautioned the international community about Iran’s new president, saying his charm offensive is only a strategy to get crippling sanctions lifted. Iran's envoy lashed back, calling Netanyahu’s speech "inflammatory."

Delivering his UNGA address, Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately launched into his argument that Iran is not on the path of change, saying new President Hassan Rouhani is a “loyal servant” of the Islamic hardline regime and no different from his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“Rouhani doesn’t sound like Ahmadinejad. But when it comes to Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the only difference between them is this: Ahmadinejad was a wolf in wolf’s clothing; Rouhani is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A wolf who thinks he can pull the wool over the eyes of the international community,” said Netanyahu.

He listed a catalog of Iran’s actions - from directly supporting President Bashar al-Assad in Syria to jailing and executing political dissidents - saying it's clear Iran has not changed.

On the nuclear file, he challenged the Iranian president’s remarks that his country is seeking nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. Netanyahu pointed to the 2002 discovery that Iran was secretly building an underground centrifuge facility at Natanz and, in 2009, the uncovering of its enrichment facility in the mountains of Qom.

“Why would they do all this? The answer is simple: Iran is not building a peaceful nuclear program, Iran is developing nuclear weapons,” said Netanyahu.

He urged the international community to continue its pressure on Iran, saying sanctions are working and should remain in place.

‘Israel will stand alone’

Netanyahu was emphatic that Israel would never agree to nuclear weapons in Iran’s hands.

“Against such a threat Israel will have no choice but to defend itself. I want there to be no confusion on this point: Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. Yet in standing alone, Israel will know that we will be defending many, many others,” said Netanyahu.

The Israeli prime minister focused his more than 30 minute speech on Iran, only mentioning peace talks with the Palestinians briefly at the end, saying he is ready to seek an historic compromise with them, but stressing it must satisfy Israel’s security concerns and include mutual recognition.

Netanyahu was the last to speak at the annual debate. His remarks were followed by the “right of reply” by nations wanting to respond to comments made during the debate. Iranian envoy Khodadad Seifi categorically rejected all of Netanyahu’s remarks.

“He [Netanyahu] should seriously avoid miscalculation about Iran. Iran’s centuries-old policy of non-aggression must not be interpreted as its inability to defend itself…. Therefore, the Israeli prime minister had better not even think about attacking Iran, let alone planning for that,” said Seifi.

The Iranian envoy also urged Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty without delay, saying it is the only country in the region that is not a member.

Comments page of 2

Netanyahu of Israel declares in the UN that Israel will never allow to develop nuclear bomb, even if Israel stand alone. This is a very powerful statement. Does the US President dare to declare a similar statement instead of drawing red lines in water/ If Obama follow the statement of Netanyahu, Rouhani and Iran will make concessions to the negotiations, instead of buying time to develop nuclear bomb. Iran is not a threat to the U.S. as it is a grave threat to the vey existence of Israel. The song and dance between Rouhani and Obama is to fool the public. Any nuclear agreement should be verifiable for compliance and only after compliance the question of withdrawing sanctions arise. What is the use of an agreement, if Iran refuses the freedom of the UN nuclear inspectors? What is the benefit of a nuclear agreement with Iran, if Iran does not reveal all of its nuclear activities? There is advantage for Iran to sign the nuclear treaty and nuclear agreement to continue its covert nuclear activities. The nuclear treaty and agreement are a front to cover up the real intentions and nuclear activities of Iran. Once Iran comply to the nuclear treaty and the agreement and verification by the US nuclear inspectors, then only the trade restrictions should be lifted. Once the trade restrictions are lifted, Israel should be subjected to the same scrutiny, nuclear treaty and agreements so that Middle East is free of a nuclear holocaust. Obama and the US should declare that if any country is attacked by nuclear arms, that attacking country will be subject to the nuclear attack by the US. That will reduce the nuclear threat of nations including Iran, Israel, North Korea, China, India and Pakistan and remind the nations of the futility of developing nuclear or weapons of mass destruction.

by: John Rintala

October 01, 2013 6:20 PM

First he tells the bubbe meiseh about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 4,000 years ago, implying that a state composed mainly of Russian an other European immigrants has more claim on the land than the true Semites who have been there since those days. All the Muslims also trace their roots back to the prophets. What about them.

Okay, so that is just all mythology, but it is a powerful one and underpins the fragile legitimacy of the Zionist state.

Then he says the first big lie:

"Today our hope for the future is challenged by a nuclear-armed Iran that seeks our destruction"

Everyone lies. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Popes, and ordinary people. But if you are going to lie, they have to be at least plausible and certainly cannot be canards which have been disproved and are believed by almost no one who does not have an axe to grind. Here he manages to lie twice in one sentence. NEITHER of his assertions contain a shred of truth, and it is all downhill from there.

by: Rudy Haugeneder from: Victoria, BC, Canada

October 01, 2013 2:46 PM

People of the Jewish faith have a powerful controlling influence on the international world of finance and banking and thus manipulate governments worldwide -- including Muslim governments. The reason this control happened is because religions like Christianity and Islam believe that bankers/financiers are spiritually inferior people and thus selected Jews to handle the bad stuff on their behalf.With so much power in Jewish hands, why do people like Netanyahu and those who support him threaten to launch what could easily become global nuclear war, especially since there are only 14 million Jews in a world of more than seven billion people.

In Response

by: fred from: canada

October 02, 2013 12:03 PM

Mr Haugeneder, it is comments like these that continue to poison and promote steriotypes, hatred and general misinformation. I would think that the millon of Jews who have perished for no other reason then being victims of hatred and steriotypes wish they inded had the kind of power you assign to them

In Response

by: Paul Jaramillo

October 01, 2013 9:39 PM

Comments by Haugeneder are just the same age old anti-Semitic paranoia and mythology that has been passed around for 100's of years. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion by the Czar Russia and Anti-Semitic Europe. World Finance and banking is not a Jewish club, it is a fantasy and the mental illness of the religious bigotry by gentiles. Who believes these blatant lies that have no basis in fact, other than those who believe the bigotry of the world. Israel has bombed the nuclear program of Iraq in the 1980's, Syria, a few years ago. These examples did not result in a World War. These are empty threats. Israel will act alone and the collective bigotry of the world will not deter the Jewish state from destroying a substantial threat to it's existence. If Israel strikes against Iran, the world will not stop it. They will not dare act against Israel in it's agenda to defend itself from another holocaust. The Jewish people have to act alone at times and the world will not stand in the way. The Jewish people have suffered from world bigotry for far too long and the world will not dictate how a long suffering people will defend itself. Islam is not part of the people who pray to the same God. People who say that the Muslims pray to the same God as Judaism and Christianity is heretical period. The foundation of Christianity is in the Torah and the prophets, not the surahs of the Koran. Stop the lies about Judaism, they are lies from hell, like Nazi Germany.

In Response

by: SShor from: New York

October 01, 2013 9:17 PM

You believe the nonsense you write?

Astounding lack of common sense and basic knowledge.

This Jewish thing you talk about is a figment of your imagination.

What feeds such idiocy?

Preconceived idiocy.

Read a book.

In Response

by: Jennifer Deffenbaugh from: United States

October 01, 2013 6:50 PM

Jesus was a Jew and He's perfect.

In Response

by: aj from: nyc

October 01, 2013 5:29 PM

Pretty simple, really. To answer your question, Israel is a country which is like any other. They will do what is necessary to survive a fatal threat from a fanatical government (Iran) which feels it is divinely inspired to rid the mideast and later the world of any non-islamic presence. Khomeini himself wrote that he didn't care about Iran existing,as long as Islam triumphs over all and the Mahdi appears to make the world perfect after armageddon. So in short, as far as Israel is concerned, Never Again means Never Again and that's the way it will be. If the world wants to let those fanatics get the bomb and destabilize the region and the world, well Israel will show the guts and character necessary to stop them from doing so. Shame on the world for letting Iran get this far.

In Response

by: Andro

October 01, 2013 5:01 PM

Never seen so much recisem in a comment like your's rudy

In Response

by: naser hass from: toronto

October 01, 2013 4:57 PM

I do not think Israel is very happy about improvement of Iranian-US relationship, just days after Obamas announcement about a possible talks between the two countries Israel announced capture of an Iranian spy in Israel and terrorism from Iran against Us embassy and today we hear from Netanyahu calling new elected Iranian president a wolf in sheep's skin and calling it all bluff from Iran.

Israel is trying hard to push for military action against Iran and seems to me that will not except anything else because by improvement of Iranian-US relations Israel will be left as the black sheep in world politics, obviously isolated Iran is Israel's dream.

I am very concerned because i want the ice between Iran and US to brake and ultimately will benefit Iranian people that been under sanctions for years

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